Middletown protests call for state school aid hike

Wednesday

Mar 26, 2014 at 2:00 AM

MIDDLETOWN — Hundreds picketed in Middletown Tuesday afternoon, calling on state legislators to increase school funding. At 3 p.m., a couple-dozen people were already gathered in front of the office complex behind the Taco Bell on Dolson Avenue that houses the Middletown office of state Sen. John Bonacic, R-C-Mount Hope. A few bus loads of students arrived and the crowd kept growing, until there were close to 200 people by 3:45 p.m.

BY NATHAN BROWN

MIDDLETOWN — Hundreds picketed in Middletown Tuesday afternoon, calling on state legislators to increase school funding.

At 3 p.m., a couple-dozen people were already gathered in front of the office complex behind the Taco Bell on Dolson Avenue that houses the Middletown office of state Sen. John Bonacic, R-C-Mount Hope. A few bus loads of students arrived and the crowd kept growing, until there were close to 200 people by 3:45 p.m.

Most of the protestors were from the Middletown School District — including teachers, students and school board members — although there were some from neighboring districts. Carrying signs that called on Bonacic and Gov. Andrew Cuomo to increase school funding, they chanted, "These budget cuts have got to go! Hey hey! Ho ho!"

Another large crowd — more than 100 people — gathered across town, in front of City Hall, which houses a district office of Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther, D-C-Forestburgh.

The Middletown district is facing a more than $5 million budget gap in 2014-2015, and the school board is considering dozens of teacher layoffs and possibly closing Truman Moon elementary. There have been job cuts in most of the district's budgets over the past few years. District officials blame state mandates, and aid amounts that are half of what was promised after the state changed the aid distribution formula in 2007, for hurting Middletown and other similar small-city districts.

At last week's Middletown school board meeting, some members were especially critical of Bonacic, who voted for the Senate budget proposal that contains tax credits for charter school donors and more than a half-billion dollars for universal pre-kindergarten in New York City. The money, they argued, should've gone to school aid statewide instead.

Some accused Bonacic of never visiting the district or showing interest in it, in contrast with Gunther, from whom they hear more regularly. A few of the protesters Tuesday — including Middletown Superintendent Ken Eastwood — carried signs attacking Bonacic for supporting charters.

Andrew Warren, vice president of Middletown's school board, said it doesn't make sense to spend state money on universal pre-kindergarten when Middletown might have to get rid of full-day kindergarten in 2014-2015. "We really need to fund the programs that already exist," he said.

Sheila Esposito, head of the Middletown Teachers Association, said Bonacic called her on Monday, for the first time in her 11 years leading the MTA.

Esposito said there were points where they connected, although Bonacic mostly said the district needs to make do with the funding it's getting — a view she disagrees with.

Esposito said she thinks upstate school issues may have been overshadowed by New York City's size and influence, and the high-profile fight between Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio over pre-K and charter schools. Later Tuesday, Bonacic's office hit back, blaming Eastwood for the lack of communication over the years.

A representative said via email that Bonacic is fighting for more school aid, and accused Eastwood of having an "insatiable appetite to spend taxpayer money. No matter how much state funding Middletown City School District receives, it will never satisfy this Superintendent," the email said.

Eastwood replied that it's not just Middletown — five school districts Bonacic represents are among the state's most underfunded.

"If he wants to continue sending billions of dollars to New York City, that is his decision and (he) should not be surprised when more constituents become angry that their children are suffering educationally," Eastwood said.